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Nobel winner Ebadi back in Iran, demands freedom for political prisoners

Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi returned to Tehran, immediately giving a call for the freeing of political prisoners as she was mobbed by thousands of well-wishers.

"I hope that all political prisoners will be freed," Ebadi, the first Muslim woman and first Iranian to win the prize, told reporters after she stepped off an Iran Air Boeing 747 from Paris.

"This prize is not only for me, but for all those in favour of peace, democracy, human rights and legality," said a visibly emotional Nobel laureate, who almost fell to the ground in a crush of journalists and ordinary residents who turned out to greet her.

"The world recognizes the fight of Muslim women, and this is my political message," she said. "My message for Iranians is a message of love, friendship, peace and justice."

Thousands of people, a majority of them women, had descended on Tehran's Mehrabad airport for her homecoming.

As the area surrounding the city centre complex was brought to a standstill by bumper-to-bumper traffic, people were seen abandoning their vehicles and covering the final few kilometres (miles) on foot to catch a glimpse of the petite and softly-spoken jurist.

Many women were clutching bouquets of flowers and pictures of the Nobel winner, and singing patriotic hymns. Most of them were also wearing white headscarves.

An organising committee set up by supporters of Ebadi to plan festivities for her return from Paris had called on women to make the symbolic gesture of wearing white rather than the usual black preferred by the Islamic regime.

For her part, Ebadi was sporting a red headscarf. While in Paris, she again angered religious hardliners here by not covering her head as Iranian law demands.

Ebadi, was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo Friday, becoming the first Muslim woman to win the honour in the prize's 102-year history.

Ebadi, 56, was given the prize "for her efforts for democracy and human rights," particularly for women and children in her country, which has been under Islamic rule since the 1979 revolution, the Nobel Committee said._________________free